Black female troops versus Army's hair rule: Female troops say racially biased (soldiers, military)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Black female troops serving in the U.S. Army are blasting recent grooming rule changes that they claim are racially biased. Specific regulations have now been rolled out defining appropriate sizes of braids and cornrows, as well as banning dreadlocks of any kind.
“Thousands of soldiers and others have signed a White House petition calling for the president to order the Army to reconsider just-released appearance and grooming regulations,” writes USA Today on April 1.
The ArmyTimes carried highlights of the new rules –Army Regulation 670-1 – which has language that governs tattoos, hairstyles, general grooming and the uniform. The regulation took effect Monday.
I have heard of this before. I personally do think in regards to the black hairstyles that the policy is very discriminatory, especially as it relates to "no dreadlocks." Dreadlocks, when maintained are not an eyesore and they look good and are easier to take care of in a lot of ways than other natural styles for black people.
Also, the measurements of braids is pretty silly. Are they going to go around measuring cornrows to make sure they are 1/4" or less? That is just ridiculous. Twist is another issue, as they are also a very easy to manage style. I usually wear twists or twist outs, it is my preferred style because it is a healthy style for the hair and is easy to maintain, which is what I think they would want for a soldier - to have a presentable, neat, easy to maintain appearance. But that is just me.
I think they will have changes to the policy in regards to black females and hair. Black females make up a large portion of female recruits and soldiers as 30% of some branches are black females.
And for those who think they should just conform, many times when these style guidelines are black hair are announced it is just a ploy to get black women to maintain more "European-esque" types of hair, especially relaxers, which have been found to be damaging to the health as well as the hair itself. Many black women are "going natural" and the preferred styles are braids and twists.
I can understand the headband thing and even the "big braid" thing, but not the twist and dreadlocks. These are natural styles for black hair. Some black women have very short hair and cannot put it back into a pony tail, but they can have locks or twists to make themselves look neatly groomed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
